Affordable Housing & Community Development

Overview

Comprehensive solutions for complex housing development and redevelopment initiatives

DarrowEverett has deep experience in public finance and in the representation of housing authorities, their instrumentalities, and related institutions, bringing practical, transaction-tested judgment to complex projects that shape communities. We routinely advise on mixed-finance developments that leverage bonds, low-income housing tax credits, and other government funding sources, aligning legal strategy with funding program requirements and project timelines. We also help create public-private partnerships and participate in strategizing their use to create affordable housing opportunities.

Our team serves as general counsel and special counsel to numerous housing authorities and consults nationwide on special initiatives, providing day-to-day advice as well as support on discrete transactions and policy matters. We have deep experience supporting CNI grant awardees from application through implementation, helping clients navigate federal oversight, procurement, relocation, and development milestones. We also represent several “Moving to Work” housing agencies that are currently implementing innovative policies that will help determine how U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) will operate in the future.

We also act as general counsel to not-for-profit corporations—securing tax-exempt status and assisting with the acquisition, development, administration, and sale of affordable multifamily housing—giving us a holistic view across public, quasi-governmental, and nonprofit stakeholders.

Our lawyers have negotiated, structured, and documented a wide array of complex real estate transactions and planned communities, and we are frequent speakers at legal and housing seminars nationwide, reflecting our commitment to client service and staying at the forefront of affordable housing issues.

Our Housing and Community Development Capabilities

We provide end-to-end support across development life cycles—planning, site control, entitlement, financing, construction, lease-up, compliance, and disposition—so that clients can move efficiently from concept to final project. Our approach integrates financing program know-how with pragmatic real estate, regulatory, and governance counsel, enabling timely, compliant execution on mission-critical projects.

  • Acquisition Development and Redevelopment of Affordable Housing: We structure, negotiate, and close acquisitions, developments and redevelopments, with a focus on funding program constraints, diligence on regulatory agreements, and seamless transitions for property management and compliance.
  • Eminent Domain: We advise public entities and partners on takings strategy, valuation, procedure, and settlement to support redevelopment and infrastructure aligned with community development plans.
  • Ethics Law Issues: We counsel boards, executives, and staff on ethics compliance to mitigate conflicts, ensure transparency, and safeguard program integrity.
  • Public Records Laws & Florida Government-in-the-Sunshine Law: We help clients structure meetings and records practices to meet open government requirements while maintaining efficient governance.
  • Public Official Conflict of Interest Laws: We provide clear, practical guidance on identification, disclosure, and mitigation of conflicts to maintain compliance and public trust.
  • Public Procurement Laws and Processes: We design and implement compliant solicitations, evaluations, and awards, and defend procurement decisions to keep projects on track.
  • Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Application and Use: We support LIHTC applications and transactions, aligning deal terms, partnership structures, and closing checklists with program rules and investor expectations.
  • Multifamily Property Acquisition, Management and Sale: We handle buy-sell transactions and operational transitions, with attention to regulatory agreements, Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contracts, and long-term compliance obligations.
  • Public Housing Resident and Section 8 Program Issues: We advise on policy, compliance, and dispute resolution to preserve benefits, protect resident rights, and meet HUD requirements.
  • Real Property Acquisition and Disposition: We plan and execute site control, assemblage, and dispositions that align with funding timelines and development objectives.
  • Title Issues Relative to Governmental Entities and Related Not-For-Profits: We clear complex title and easement matters unique to public and quasi-public ownership and financing structures.
  • Traditional and Structured Financing Products, Including Tax-Exempt Financing: We negotiate and close bond, credit, and layered capital stacks for mixed-finance projects, coordinating among authorities, lenders, and investors.

Why Choose DarrowEverett

We unite public finance proficiency, housing authority general counsel experience, and hands‑on execution in mixed‑finance and HUD‑related projects to deliver affordable housing and community outcomes that are feasible, compliant, and durable—backed by a track record of advising Florida housing authorities, national housing agencies, and mission‑driven nonprofits across acquisitions, financings, governance, and complex real estate transactions. Start a conversation with our Housing & Development attorneys today before you make the next critical decisions in your project.

Ricardo L. Gilmore

Practice Leader

Ricardo L. Gilmore - Partner

Ricardo L. Gilmore is a partner at DarrowEverett. With more than 40 years of legal experience, he focuses his practice on business and corporate law, real estate, public finance, and…

Jozette V. Chack-On

Practice Leader

Jozette V. Chack-On - Partner

Jozette V. Chack-On is a Partner at DarrowEverett, where she focuses on corporate law, business law, contract negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, and affordable multi-family housing developments. With more than 29…

Rhonda E. Stringer

Practice Leader

Rhonda E. Stringer - Partner

Rhonda E. Stringer concentrates her practice in the areas of affordable and public housing, with a focus on operational, management, policy, and regulatory compliance matters involving public housing programs, Housing…

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Representative Matters

Appellate Victory Enforcing HUD Recertification Requirements in Florida

Partner Rhonda Stringer secured a reversal before Florida's First District Court of Appeal on behalf of a public housing authority after a trial court refused to enforce a HUD-mandated annual recertification requirement — a federal regulatory obligation embedded in all public housing leases as a condition of continued tenant eligibility. The appellate court directed entry of final judgment in favor of the housing authority and ruled that the housing authority was entitled to recover appellate attorney's fees and costs. On remand, the trial court entered final judgment for possession and held that the housing authority was entitled to recover attorney's fees and costs at the trial level as well. This significant decision reaffirmed that HUD-mandated lease provisions are enforceable as written and that equitable considerations cannot override clear federal regulatory obligations, eliminating adverse precedent that could have been used by public housing tenants statewide to avoid compliance with mandatory recertification requirements. We thank Attorney Stringer for her advocacy in this matter. As challenges to housing authority enforcement actions continue to grow more complex, strategic appellate advocacy plays a critical role in protecting long‑term program integrity, operational stability, and limited public resources.

Structuring Sophisticated Financing for 98 New Affordable Housing Units

We assisted the Lake Wales (Fla.) Housing Authority on its closing of the Grove Manor Phase II redevelopment—a $28 million project that will bring 98 new family units to the community. The project is financed through a sophisticated structure that includes Florida Housing Finance Corporation Low Income Housing Tax Credits; Regions Bank serving as equity investor, construction lender, and Freddie Forward permanent lender; Polk County providing Local Government Area of Opportunity (LGAO) and State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds; and the Lake Wales Housing Authority contributing capital lease payment proceeds along with City of Lake Wales funds. Construction is underway and is expected to be completed by May 2027, marking a significant step forward in expanding high quality affordable housing for local families.

Advising Partners on Financing for 75‑Unit Zion Village Project

We represented Mt. Zion AME Church of Riverview and the Tampa Housing Authority in connection with the development of Zion Village, a 75-unit affordable housing community for seniors in Hillsborough County, Florida. The work included structuring the faith-based and public private partnership and negotiating the complex financing structure, which included 4% Housing Credits; Bank of America equity and construction loan; Housing Finance Authority of Hillsborough County and Florida Multifamily Mortgage Revenue Bonds; Berkadia/Freddie Mac permanent tax-exempt loan; and Hillsborough County SHIP and HOPE loans.

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Our Offices

With offices strategically located across the East Coast, we serve clients with local insight and national reach.

New York, NY

New York Office

450 Seventh Avenue
Suite 1802
New York, NY 10123


Contact Information
Tel: (212) 335-2090
Fax: (212) 335-2091

Miami, FL

Miami Office

550 Biltmore Way
Suite 720
Coral Gables, FL 33134


Contact Information
Tel: (305) 686-5159
Fax: (305) 686-6159

Boca Raton, FL

Boca Raton Office

1801 N. Military Trail
Suite 203
Boca Raton, FL 33431


Contact Information
Tel: (561) 288-2600
Fax: (561) 277-0012

Tampa, FL

Tampa Office

201 E Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 600
Tampa, FL 33602


Contact Information
Tel: (813) 314-4500
Fax: (813) 314-4555

DarrowEverett LLP

Providence, RI

Providence Office

One Turks Head Place
Suite 1200
Providence, RI 02903


Contact Information
Tel: (401) 453-1200
Fax: (401) 453-1201

Boston, MA

Boston Office

53 State Street
Suite 0515
Boston, MA 02109


Contact Information
Tel: (617) 443-4500
Fax: (857) 758-2948

Southcoast, MA

Southcoast Office

99 S. Main St.
Suite 280
Fall River, MA 02721


Contact Information
Tel: (508) 675-1576
Fax: (508) 672-6196

Charlotte, NC

Charlotte Office

1515 Mockingbird Lane
Suite 7120
Charlotte, NC 28209


Contact Information
Tel: (704) 672-0605
Fax: (704) 812-7642